The ordinary, unornamented glass-door entrance is often unnoticed by the hordes of tourists passing by in search of the Sioni church. The famous church and former See of the Georgian Orthodox clergy is located right next to the Tbilisi History Museum. Although Free Walking Tours catapult you right in front of the church’s iconostasis, the hunt for knowledge on Tbilisi’s history seems incomplete without a visit to the museum next by. It provides the last, missing bit of information so deeply longed for by history enthusiasts.

Presently, the museum has opened its doors for political zealots adamant on anti-corruption and art. An exhibition by Giorgi Ugulava exposes the challenges of an economically rising country still vitiated by nepotism and favoritism. Numerous canvas on the first floor of the museum showcase the paradox of a society which steers toward meritocratic institutions and a steadfast rule of law, while at the same time quarreling with their own family-manifested traditions. Ugulava finds the right expression for a “grey-zone” in Georgia, where improvement and development are ebullient, but the change of cultural attitudes lacks behind.

Tackling an international issue, his art touches a topic prevalent in modern society. Spheres of influence by politicians, oligarchs or TV-star celebrities are blurry and often cumulate in the formation of powerful, connected group poisoning democratic processes. The artist emphasizes a virus so ubiquitous and pervasive that every society across the globe fails to escape its toxics.

Extravagant cars jab the green landscapes and construction sites on his artworks often exhibiting a powerless group of people next to a magnate in his Lamborghini. As so often, it is another great exemplar of art functioning as a mouthpiece for issues rooted in society, culture, and tradition.

UNTIL: April 10, 2018

WHERE: Ioseb Grishashvili Tbilisi History Museum (Karvasla) Sioni Str. 8 

By Benjamin Music

Image source: Tbilisi History Museum